Pride Over Pity by Kailyn Lowry, Adrienne Wenner Page B

MTV camera crew in tow, but our minds changed instantly. Eloping in a dime a dozen chapel below flickering fluorescent lights, where you could choose a sci-fi theme or have a fake Elvis memento seemed cheesy and unromantic. Once we got down there, I realized I didn’t want my wedding to be like that so we decided it would be best to wait.

Chapter 15
    Steadfast Convictions
    Religion tends to become an issue once marriage begins to come up in conversation. Javi’s family is very religious but fortunately they didn’t expect us to have a church wedding. Personally, I didn’t have a lot of expectations or demands for how the ceremony should be, but the one thing I have never wanted is a church wedding. I don’t want to be married in a church because I do not believe in God.
    How can you not believe in God? I’m sure that’s what a lot of people want to ask me. For me, that question is actually easily answered. Just like some Catholics quote Bible passages to support their views, I look to the many experiences in my own life that have proved to me that there is no reason to believe.
    I am not in any way susceptible to “Catholic guilt.” I can’t be frightened into faith by stories of the fiery pits of hell. Contrary to what some people think, atheists aren’t heathens with no moral compass. In fact, most atheists base their ideas on science, facts, and hard evidence. Atheism doesn’t make you less human, just a more a logical one.
    I never had much interest in being part of a religious institution or community. To me, blind faith in the unknown or in an after life, is just an excuse to believe in something other than yourself. My perception of the universe is more existential. I believe in myself. Why believe in what’s basically an imaginary friend? There are other ways to explain the mysteries of life. I believe in science. Science can clearly debunk religious myths and provide concrete answers to what religion tries to explain through stories. I don’t believe a god created the universe. I rely on the Big Bang theory to understand Creation. Science helps me comprehend life and the larger picture of how we came to be.
    I suppose my scientific mind is the result of having no religious influences during my childhood. I don’t remember my mom ever taking me to church or encouraging prayer. Occasionally, she told me to say a prayer before bed, but that’s it. It was the classic one most people say : Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. If you think about it, saying take me to heaven in case I die tonight is a pretty morbid way to end your day. I think it’s a cheap way to try to get into heaven even if you weren’t particularly religious or a good person in life.
    The idea of living after my bones wither to nothing is more disturbing than comforting to me. Living forever, as though we are never truly put to rest, is a scary thought. A true end to our lives on earth seems more natural. I don’t believe there’s anything after this. From a rational, scientific perspective an afterlife makes no sense to me. I’ve never encountered ghosts or spirits so I have no belief in them either. Once you’re dead, I believe you are gone completely. There’s nothing that follows.
    Looking for factual evidence to provide an alternative explanation for life is frowned upon by some people of faith. To me, there’s no solid proof of God’s existence. I believe the Shroud of Turin can be explained in one of two ways: either it was an elaborate hoax or there is a scientific explanation of how some guy’s face became imprinted on an old rag. I know that I may sound cynical, but to be honest I’d rather turn to my dog for help than pray to a god we have no proof even exists.
    For me religion creates more questions than answers. Like when people say, Life’s a test . I’ve watched too many good people become engulfed in shitty situations, to